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Who is in the cast of Age Before Beauty?

Polly Walker takes the lead as Isabel “Bel” Finch, a housewife and devoted mother returning to running a salon in Manchester once her children go off to university.

Walker is best known for her roles in Rome, Patriot Games and Savage Messiah. More recently, she’s starred in TV shows Mr Selfridge, Line of Duty and State of Play.

Speaking about the role, Walker said: "Bel is the heart of the piece, she is strong, but she is also weak. Bel represents lots of women who have given up careers to look after children or families, and then due to circumstances, she is forced to re-evaluate everything, including herself. It feels very apt for me, at my age, to be playing this part."

Teddy Roxton - Robson Green

Robson Green plays Bel’s best friend and brother-in-law Teddy Roxton.

Green is no stranger to audiences thanks to his role in Grantchester and factual series Extreme Fishing, while his previous parts include Soldier Soldier and Wire in the Blood.

Green said of this character: “The way Teddy behaves affects every single relationship in this story on a massive level, which is amazing to play.

“He is a pathological liar but his actions are rooted in truth and circumstance and everything Teddy does in this series stems from an absolute devotion to love.”

Polly Walker as Bel in BBC drama Age Before Beauty (Image: BBC)

The cast of BBC drama Age Before Beauty (Image: BBC)

Wesley Finch - James Murray

Cutting It alumni James Murray portrays Bel’s husband Wesley Finch, who makes a mistake which has huge ramifications on the rest of the series.

Murray has most recently featured in ITV’s Him and Suspects on Channel 5.

"When I saw the scripts, it immediately took me back to Cutting It because it is undeniably Debbie Horsfield,” Murray said.

He continued: “Debbie has a very particular style, especially when she is writing about the world of young, working professionals in a slightly heightened universe.

“She has a unique voice in that respect. However, this story and the way she has written it has a fresh and more modern view on life than perhaps Cutting It did as that was more than 15 years ago.”

Leanne Roxton - Kelly Harrison

Kelly Harrison portrays Bel’s younger sister Leanne Roxton, who is married to Teddy.

Harrison has previously starred in Casualty as paramedic Nikki Marshall, Waking the Dead and Happy Valley.

Harrison revealed: "At the beginning of the series Leanne invites her older sister, Bel, to return to the family-run beauty salon, which Bel used to run 20 odd years ago.

“However, as the series progresses her jealousy of Bel grows rapidly, because she feels like Bel walks into the salon and takes over her world.”

Age Before Beauty features a large ensemble cast (Image: BBC)

Tina Regan - Lisa Riley

Loose Women and Emmerdale actress Lisa Riley plays Tina Regan, who is a tattoo artist but is also the glue that holds all the characters together.

Riley’s biggest roles have been in Emmerdale as Mandy Dingle and Tina Allen in Waterloo Road as well starring in the harrowing drama Three Girls last year.

Riley said: "The best thing about Tina is that she deals with things through her sarcasm. She is the confidante and totem pole who keeps the family together.

“When the chips are down and low within the family, she deals with it so brilliantly. Everyone confides in Tina and she doesn’t miss a trick, she knows everything that is going on.”

Ivy-Rae Regan - Sue Johnston

Sue Johnston takes on the role of one of the show’s boldest characters Ivy-Rae Regan.

Johnston has starred in everything from The Royle Family to Waking the Dead and Downton Abbey.

Reflecting on her character, the actress said: “Debbie Horsfield doesn’t bow down to age when it comes to Ivy-Rae; she goes dancing, she works and she runs around with men young enough to be her sons.

“She is brutally honest with those around her and if you don’t like it, that is tough. She doesn’t give a toss about what people think about her and there is a freedom in that.”

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Mantock previous credits include AMC’s Into the Badlands, The Tomorrow People and Casualty.

The star said: "Lorelei is a character that represents fun and youth and the idea of something shiny and new that you can have all of these great experiences with.”

Heidi Regan - Vicky Myers

In the role of the youngest sister is actress Vicky Myers as the “lash queen” Heidi Regan.

Myers has featured in Paranoid, Coronation Street and The Five.

"There were certain aspects of Heidi that I could understand and really relate to,” she explained.

The star continued: “She’s a single mum like me and has aspirations for her daughter; I have a daughter and so I empathise with that. Heidi is the youngest of the four sisters and she is very much the baby and she is treated and behaves as such.”

Other cast members include Amir El-Masry as Dante, Struan Rodger as Chizzler, Louie Threlfall as Tyler, Eugene Collins as Shaquille.